It's never too early: A look ahead at the 2012 Olympic pool

Thought I'd start a very preliminary thread for the 2012 Olympic team.

For the purposes of this thread, seems like it makes sense to keep the discussion to U23 players rather than discussing overage players (if there will even be any). Assuming current rules, the birth year cutoff for Olympic players will be Jan. 1, 1989.

Last time around, Bradley called the first camp in Feb. 2007. Qualifiying was in 2008. If that form holds, we are a year or so away from the first gathering of the next squad.

Here's the last U23 roster:

http://www.ussoccer.com/News/U-23-MNT/2008/07/Nowak-Names-Roster-For-2008-Olympic-Games.aspx

That team will be pretty well-represented in South Africa, especially if some people get healthy in time.

More to come shortly.

Here are the USA-eligible players with birth years between 1989 and 1991 currently listed on MLS's player page:

• Peri Marosevic 5/5/1989
• Fuad Ibrahim 8/15/1991
• Alex Nimo 3/21/1990
• Anthony Wallace 1/26/1989
• Gerson Mayen 2/9/1989
• Michael Stephens 4/3/1989
• Kyle Davies 4/11/1989
• Sean Johnson 5/31/1989
• Jorge Flores 9/16/1989
• Danny Cruz 1/3/1990
• Brek Shea 2/28/1990
• Josh Lambo 11/19/1990
• Tristan Bowen 1/31/1991
• Cesar Zamora 5/27/1991
• Francisco Navas Cobo 11/17/1991
• Blair Gavin 1/8/1989
• Ike Opara 2/21/1989
• Brian Perk 7/21/1989
• Andrew Wiedeman 8/22/1989
• Dilly Duka 12/15/1989
• Teal Bunbury 2/17/1990
• Amobi Okugo 3/13/1991

And here is a selection of Yanks Abroad who might be candidates (again, only going with birth years between 1989 and 1991 for now):

Acuna Sanchez Isaac 1989 Club America Mexico
Adu Freddy 1989 Aris Thessaloniki FC Greece
Altidore Josmer 1989 Hull City AFC England
Arguez Bryan 1989 G.D. Estoril-Praia Portugal
Eckhardt Greg 1989 VPS Vaasa Finland
Fennell Royal-Dominique 1989 Stuttgarter Kickers Germany
Luzunaris Matt 1989 SK Rapid Wien Austria
Oregel Ochoa Armando 1989 SCR Altach Austria
Ozuna Arrieta Armando 1989 Club de Futbol Indios Mexico
Ponce Briseno Miguel Angel 1989 Tapatio Mexico
Taylor Tony 1989 G.D. Estoril-Praia Portugal
Williams Daniel 1989 SC Freiburg Germany
Wooten Andrew 1989 1. FC Kaiserslautern Germany
Chandler Timothy 1990 Eintracht Frankfurt Germany
Diskerud Mikkel 1990 Stabaek Norway
Greenberg Michael 1990 Maccabi Petah Tikva Israel
Hamada Mizuki 1990 Urawa Red Diamonds Japan
Jeffrey Jared 1990 FSV Mainz Germany
Jensen Kenneth Di Vita 1990 Honefoss BK Norway
Kariv Nadav 1990 FC Wohlen Switzerland
Ledezma Cardenas Mario Anjel 1990 Chivas Mexico
Levry Axel 1990 Energie Cottbus Germany
Mendoza Knauss Alexander Brett 1990 Pumas Mexico
Monroy Martin 1990 Tigres UANL Mexico
Moore Dallas 1990 Grimsby Town England
Morales Alfredo 1990 Hertha BSC Berlin Germany
Nazzani Giuseppe 1990 AS Figline Italy
Ochoa Norberto 1990 Club Brugge Belgium
Paredes Montelongo Jesse Tino 1990 Tigres UANL Mexico
Ramsey Marcel 1990 FC Schalke 04 Germany
Sanchez Garcia Victor 1990 Leon Mexico
Yao Devann 1990 Ipswich Town England
Agbossoumonde Gale 1991 Sporting Clube de Braga Portugal
Bolivar Grijalva Ernesto 1991 Indios Mexico
Boyd Terrence 1991 Hertha BSC Berlin Germany
Cabrera Paez Juan Antonio 1991 Atlas Mexico
Garza Gregory Martin 1991 Sporting Lisbon Portugal
Gatt Josh 1991 SCR Altach Austria
Hoyos Michael 1991 Estudiantes de la Plata Argentina
Leyva Fierro Arham Jared 1991 Cruz Azul Mexico
Navarro Zermeno Daniel Alejandro 1991 Chivas Mexico
Otte Patrick 1991 Middlesbrough FC England
Parham Dominik 1991 SV Stuttgarter Kickers Germany
Patrick Jordan 1991 Cambridge United England
Picault Fabrice-Jean 1991 Cagliari Calcio Italy
Robinson Blake 1991 Werder Bremen Germany
Ruelas Aguilar Gustavo Adrian 1991 Santos Laguna Mexico
Sakai Gotoku 1991 Albirex Niigata Japan
Torres Mezzell Guillermo James 1991 Club de Futbol Pachuca Mexico
Walsh Parker 1991 Karlsruher SC Germany
Zahavi Alexander 1991 Sporting Lisbon Portugal

Great thread! When does qualifying start?

Also, are there still going to be 3 overage players?

Qualifying will probably be early 2012.

I think the matter of overage players (and perhaps even the age limit) is still up in the air, but I haven't followed it all that closely.

There isn't a coach for this group yet is there?

I'm guessing that the USSF will announce that coach sometime in 2011. Perhaps an assistant to the next USMNT coach (a la Nowak under Bradley).

We do know that the last U-20 WC squad was disappointing, and many of those players are options for this squad. The eligible names that pop out as still eligible are Adu and Altidore.

I won't do a whole roster prediction but here you go.. my starting lineup prediction:


-----------Altidore---Agudelo---

---------------M. Hoyos------

-------LLetget--------------Diskerud--

----------------Okugo-----------------


G. Garza----Agbossoumonde---K. Davies-----D. Williams---

----------------Edwards--------------


A few guys I think will be on the bench

Johnson [GK]
Adu
Stephens
McInerney
Jeffery
Opara
Gil

Also, I assuming that FIFA finally puts an end to the 3 overage player rule.

And the one prediction that I can say will 100% absolutely be true is that my lineup prediction above will turn out to be be completely wrong. A good number of these kids won't make it.

Still, it's fun.

Nice line up.

I think we have to also keep in mind that whomever will be the new NT coach will more than likely dictate what formation we use for our U-23's.

I agree on this one.

The European clubs hate this tournament, and FIFA's going to throw them a bone by doing away with the overage players. (They may already have. I remember hearing something about that)

It will also be interesting to see how much resistence there is from clubs about U23 players. As we'll recall from the 08 Olympics, the Bundesliga clubs in particular had to be FORCED to release their players. Wasn't it Rafinha who was at the heart of that fight?

Well, the 2008 result was heartbreaking but I thought that team showed it could play exciting, athletic, modern soccer at times. All in all it was a pretty solid group. This one could certainly be better, especially if they get to "keep" guys like Adu and Altidore.

I also realize that there are no doubt quite a few college and other amateur players who might force their way into the picture by the time qualifying rolls around.

Perhaps Sandon or someone else could take a swing at a few of the standouts from that group, but a few cribbed from the last U20 pool include Will Bruin, Mike Green, Matt Cassell, Dan Kelly, Casey Townsend, Chris Agorsor, Brian Ownby, Hasani Sinclair, Dillon Powers and Billy Schuler.

It's as good a guess as any at this point. Daniel Williams is actually a DM who was forced into a few games at RB though. I do like your Michael Hoyos prediction and I'm hoping it comes true...

For some perspective, let's look at what the last group of U23s were doing in March, 2006. (Not including overage players)

GK Chris Seitz (Maryland) -- a year before he went pro
DF Marvell Wynne (NY Red Bulls) -- just beginning his rookie year
DF Michael Orozco (San Luis) -- didn't make his debut for San Luis until August '06
DF Patrick Ianni (Houston Dynamo) -- just beginning his rookie year
MF Michael Bradley (Heerenveen) -- had just been sold and hadn't yet started, then 06-07 was apprentice year, 07-08 breakout year
MF Dax McCarty (FC Dallas) -- just beginning his rookie year
MF Maurice Edu (Maryland) -- a year before he went pro
MF Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo) -- just beginning his rookie year
MF Danny Szetela (Columbus Crew) -- bench player
MF Benny Feilhaber (Hamburger II) -- reserve team player
MF Freddy Adu (DC United) -- seeing PT
MF Robbie Rogers (Maryland) -- still amateur, would sign with Heerenveen in August '06
MF Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA) -- just beginning his rookie year
FW Charlie Davies (Boston College) -- a year before he went pro
FW Jozy Altidore (NY Red Bulls) -- just beginning his rookie year


So at this point in the last cycle, which is about 2.5 years before the Olympics, here's the break down:

Amateurs: (4) Seitz, Edu, Rogers, Davies
Rookies preparing for their first season: (6) Wynne, Ianni, McCarty, Holden, Kljestan, Altidore
Guys in MLS: (2) Szetela, Adu
Euro reserves: (2) Bradley, Feilhaber
Other: (1) Orozco (basically preparing for his rookie season, too)


Honestly considering how many of these guys are in the NT picture today and considering how long it seems that we've been discussing these guys, it surprised me to see how little experience this group had at this point last cycle.

This is one of the most enlightening and helpful posts I've read in quite some time. Repped.

Edit: For some reason I can't rep this post, don't know if it is because of all the neg rep I got from some Mexico trolls recently or not. Can someone cover me?

Considering his Canadian father (who played for the Canadian NT and is among its all time scorers), it'll be interesting to see who he goes with (he was born in Canada as well and played for their youth teams).

Not to rain on anyones parade, but I think he'll side with Canada.

I also think bunbury will go with canada. I'm a local MN guy and from what I've heard and read, I think it's 80-20 in favor of canada, but we can all dream

-----------Altidore---Agudelo---

------------------Adu-----------

-------LLetget--------------Gil*--------

----------------Diskerud---------------


G. Garza--Agbossoumonde---K. Davies*--D. Williams---

----------------Edwards*--------------

God thats an offensive packed lineup, daddy likes....

Lambo/Chris Seitz
Okugo
Hoyos/Dempsey
McInerney
Jeffery
Opara/Gooch
Shea: utility man for defense, midfield, OR forward. His versatility sees him on the roster

* and italics indicate players on a three player overage should it still be allowed.

The 3 O-23 player rule will govern the London Olympics. UEFA by final FIFA vote, backed down.

One could suppose that he's no different than other Canadians named Hargreaves or De Guzman.

Arturo Alvarez once seemed like a guy who was 80-20 in favor of the US, and we all know how that ended.

Add Asmir Begovic (Bosnia) to the list, for Canada. And to make matters even more comical, they once had a guy who relinquished his citizenship in order to get an EU passport to further his career. Ouch.

Alvarez isn't a great comparison, though, because he did want to play for the US but he wasn't good enough. It was only when it became clear that his chance wasn't going to come that he joined El Salvador's program.

An MLS guy who was missed is GK Bill Hamid from DC United.

Freddy Adu, I presume then, will be going as an overaged player?

Then again, this team may not even qualify.

You're kidding right?

I will believe Teal Bunbury will play for the USA the day I see some hockey god in Canada like Ray Borque have his son play for the USA in hockey.

I guess you've never heard of Bobby Hull.

Ray's son, Ryan, won gold at the 2010 world juniors this year for team usa..

OH Snap. This is confirmation that Teal will represent the US. bshredder might have some inside info